ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. field — for sport
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — a match
  6. court — of a king
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. can — to be able to
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — in sport
  16. court — of law
  17. field — farmland
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com